India's first private sector rocket Vikram-S to launch in November

Tags: Science and Technology

India's first privately developed launch vehicle - Hyderabad-based Skyroute's Vikram-S - is set to make its maiden flight from Sriharikota between November 12 and 16.

Important facts

• Marking the launch of the private sector, Vikram-S will carry three customer satellites in a sub-orbital flight in this mission, named 'Prarambh'.

• With this mission, Skyroute Aerospace will become the first private space company in India to launch a rocket into space, ushering in a new era for the space sector.

• The launch date will be decided based on the weather conditions.

• It aims to remove barriers to cost-efficient satellite launch services and space-flight while furthering its mission of making spaceflight affordable, reliable and routine for all.

About Vikram-S Rocket

• It is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle which will carry three customer payloads and help test and validate technologies in the Vikram series space launch vehicles.

• The Prarambh mission is aimed at carrying three payloads into space, including a 2.5-kilogram payload that has been developed by students from several countries.

• Skyroute's launch vehicles have been named 'Vikram' as a tribute to Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of the Indian space programme.

• The initial mission and the Vikram-S rocket have been developed by a Hyderabad-based startup in collaboration with ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre).

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) 

• It was set up on 15 August 1969

• It is India's national space agency. It launches its space rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

• Headquarters: Bengaluru

• Chairman: S. Somanath